These pictures of Echinopsis
Eyresii were taken before it bloomed this year. It bloomed the night I took
this picture and because of our cool, rainy unseasonable weather was open for
almost a week, until more of the blooms also opened. We had at least four blooms
at a time on 2 occasions and still have more blooms to go.

This
is a night blooming cactus that has blooms at least six inches wide. It's blooms
last only one night and it's fragrance is powerful. I have been told this is
a Echinopsis Eyresii.

It's
flower is red before opening and is very white when open. This picture was taken
in the evening as it just started to open.

The
Arizona Queen of the Night Peniocereus Greggii is known as the Sweet
Potato Cactus in some localities,and as Night Blooming Cereus in other places,
a night blooming cactus having flowers about 13 inches in diameter, with white
petals and golden sepals. It has a evanescent beauty and spicy fragrance. It
appears to be a dried, dead seeming stick of stems that blend so well with its
surrounding vegetation. Beneath the shallow root system is a large tuber that
weighs up to 50 pounds. This tuber functions as a food and water storage compartment
to sustain the plant thorough long periods of drought. The flowers last only
one night closing as the sun grows bright in the morning. The flower appear
in late July and the red, egg-shaped fruit ripens in September. The Indians
used this fruit for jams and jellies. The tiny black spines are arranged in
groups of ten or twelve to a cluster, with clusters lined up like a row of insects
along the outer portion of the ribs. They extend the full length of the stems
and branches. It compensates for its unattractiveness when it flowers. The picture
at left was taken at 3 a.m. in total darkness against the fence that separate
our homes in Tucson.

The
Midnight Lady Eriocereus Bonplandii blooms in June.

The
Green Sirens Eriocereus Pomanensis Blooms in June.

The
Blue Cereus Cereus Hexagonus blooms in June or July.

The
Torch Cereus Trichocereus Spachianus blooms in June.

This
is Princess of the Night cactus that has blooms at least six inches wide. It's
blooms last only one night and it emits a strong vanilla like fragrance. It's
flowers are up to 12 inches in diameter, with white petals and golden sepals
is a Selenicereus Pteranthus.

This night blooming Pink Hedgehog
cactus Echinopsis Scoullar have flowers on 4 inch long stems that are
soft pink colored flowers, the flowers also only open once and at night. The
group Echinopsis are low columnar plants. This particular cactus did
well with snow on it for a week. This happened in the winter of '98 and they
all seem to be handling it rather well. Especially since most things tell me
that it will not handle those temperatures. These picture were taken first at
night and then first thing in the morning.

This
night blooming beauty may be the Torch Cereus Echinopsis Trichocereus spachianus
it is very common, and I'm told very easy to grow. The white flowers of this
plant are about 5 inches in diameter. It is doing well here in the foothills
both in the ground and a pot. Thanks Ulf for identifying this.

This
was a complete shock to us this year, as it was to have been another Torch Cactus
Echinopsis Trichocereus spachianus, so we planted it in our garden and
it has been blooming for three days now and is such a beautiful yellow. It opened
the first morning and has been showing it's beauty to us ever since, not closing
up after one night as a Torch cactus normally does.

This
night blooming cactus has hairy growth around the blooms before they bloom for
one night, I didn't get a good picture of the cactus, so when I do I will put
it up here. This is another nameless cactus in my garden. I received it at a
Cactus & Succulent show in Fresno and am enjoying its beauty.

I
had waited ten years to see this cactus bloom, only to miss it. It is Lemaireocereus
thurberi. There are several varieties of the Cereus type that look like
it. A close up picture that shows the spines is at left. It blooms in the summer
at night, the flower is white. May 2003, another chance at a bloom and this
time I caught it. Thanks Bob for identifying this beautiful cactus!!!

This cactus Cereus neotetragonus, commonly known as the Fairy Castle
little 4" tall cactus has five sides to it and many little babies or stems
growing out from the tall main stem. It is spiny and will be interesting to
see what it does. Thanks, Matt!!

This
is Pilocereus Azureus it has three pronged spikes that are red and tough,
it is about 13 inches tall and was given to me 5 years ago as a baby. Thanks,
Coulter!

This
cactus has been a real shocker, it started as just one and now has blossomed
and bloomed

Opuntia cacti do best where they get
four or more hours a day of direct sunlight, or where artificial and natural
light over 12 hours a day, but they will grow fairly well in bright indirect
light, such as that reflected from light walls. In winter, night temperatures
of 40° to 45° and day temperatures under 65° are ideal; from spring
through fall, night temperatures of 65° to 70° and day temperatures
of 75° to 85° are recommended. Let the soil become moderately dry between
thorough watering from spring through fall; in winter, water only enough to
keep the plants from shriveling. Newly potted plants should not be fed the first
year; established plants should be fed once each spring. Repot annually in early
spring for fast growth; otherwise, repot in spring when the plants become overcrowded.
For best results use a mixture of 1 part loam, 1 part leaf mold, 1 part sharp
sand and 1/2 part crushed charcoal, or else use a mixture of equal parts of
a packaged general-purpose potting soil and sharp sand; to each gallon pail
full of whichever of these mixtures you use, add 1 tablespoon of ground limestone
and 1 tablespoon of bone meal. Propagate at any season from stem cuttings or
from seeds. We use the new growth when cooking the pads.
All Opuntia species are edible (nontoxic) but some species are easier to use
than others. Two parts of the plant are edible. The pads (nopalitos) and the
pear (tuna). The pads are vegetable and the pear is fruit. While 'young' Opuntia
pads contain less mucilage some work has been done on cactus mucilage as a possible
dietary supplement to increase soluble fiber intake which has various health
benefits. They are spineless varieties and are available already washed and
diced or as whole pads. The fruits are often made into jelly. Process jars in
a "waterbath" boiling water bath for five minutes. Test seal when cooled. Prickly
pears are fruit that is left on the prickly pear cactus plant after the cactus
has bloomed the prickly pears may range in color from yellow-green to deep purple-red.
The pears may range in size from that of an apricot to 6-inches long. For this
reason there is no accurate way of judging how many pears it may take to obtain
a given amount. Note: cactus jelly may "jell" soon after processing or can take
as long as 2 to 3 weeks. Cactus Pads contain and also a fair amount of B vitamins
and iron. You can also enjoy the soft but crunchy Tangy, and silky textured
Nopales right here at home. Always choose medium sized, firm pads. Avoid purchasing
limp dry or soggy pads. Wrapped in plastic they should keep in the Refrigerator
for several weeks. If you want to try a pad off your Opuntia just chose a new
tender pad of new growth. Cactus Pads Nopales can be eaten raw but are preferred
Cooked by most people. They can be steamed over Boiling water for a few minutes
and then combined with other foods. Favorites are Nopales with eggs, added to
Soups or chili, Mixed into Tortilla Fillings, or even Stuffed with Cheese and
deep Fried. Experiment with them and learn to enjoy their unusual texture and
taste.

A low growing prickly pear that produces many flowers, fruit and is edible.
It's fruit are not big enough for making into jelly although it always sets
many fruit. It's not a very spiny cactus and does not grow tall, it spreads
out a lot. It is from the Opuntia family. These seed pods remain on
it even into the next season and often has yellow flowers along with the red
seed pods. Although we have never eaten these, I'm told they are delicious.
I had been under the impression that it was not edible.

This
cactus has yellow flowers with red edges, it's spine are about 6 inches long
and very strong. It belongs to the prickly pear Opuntia family. This
one is rather new to my garden and has yet to show it's beauty.

The
Purple Prickly Pear Opuntia Santa-Rita seldom has spines, has areoles
with Glochids and bears fruit from the spent flowers. It blooms in May.

The
Pancake Prickly Pear Opuntia Chlorotica has lots of spines or glochids
in the areoles. It blooms in May.

The Bristly Pear Opuntia Aciculata blooms in May.

The
Prickly Rose Opuntia Erinacea Var. Rhodantha blooms in May.

These Beaver Tail cactus has many tiny spines that are hard to remove when they
get on you. It has many yellow flowers and does not like much water. When watered
frequently the pads fall off. This Beaver Tail cactus Opuntia basilaris
do not have true spines but are dotted with even more prickly growths, clusters
of 1/16-inch glochids or spines are innocent to look at, glochids or spines
are painful to touch and difficult to find when lodged in a finger.

Most
prickly pear are abundant in the Southwest. This one the Porcupine Cactus
Opuntia Erinacea Var. Hystricina is highly prized by collectors. I've had
very good luck with this plant and it has produced many babies.

This
Beaver Tail cactus has many tiny spines that are hard to remove when they get
on you. It has many pink flowers this cactus is the Opuntia basilaris.
Most Opuntia grow too fast and too tall for indoor use, but
two similar species make excellent house plants; they are the beavertail cactus
and bunny ears. Both grow relatively slowly, ultimately reaching a height of
3 to 4 feet. They do not have true spines but are dotted with even more prickly
growths, clusters of 1/16-inch glochids or spines Innocent to look at, glochids
are painful to touch and difficult to find when lodged in a finger. The beavertail
cactus has 4- to 8-inch-long purplish green pads with reddish brown glochids.

This
one the Orange-tuna Cactus Opuntia Anacantha are abundant in the Southwest.

The
Tulip Prickly Pear Opuntia Phaeacantha is mostly low growing and creeping,
and for that reason does not make much of an impression on the landscape. They
bloom in May.

These
are two of 3 Silver Dollar Cactus Opuntia robusta that I have growing
in my yard. The fruit are normally abundant and the size of an apple. I use
these fruit to make jelly, although this year there are not many and the size
is rather small, the flowers are yellow and normally across the top of each
pad. In 1998, with 40 days of below normal temperatures and lots of rain it
looks as though my crop will be limited. I do not know the scientific name for
this cactus. Each pad is 14 inches across and although the freeze in 1998-1999
did some damage, the plants are pretty much in tact except for one or two pads
that suffered frost bite. We just cut the injured portion off and allowed the
plants to recover. Hopefully they will go back to mass production of flower
and fruit. The bottom of the main plant, shown here received extensive damage,
and we have raised the ground level to save the plant. We have to raise it almost
a foot to get to the bottom of the first pad that seems to not be damaged from
the freeze in 98-99. It is near the top of the hillside, but down over a foot
from the top of our walkway. Finally in 2003 we again have our first flowers
since the freeze in 98-99, and look forward to the huge fruit it produces. Before
the freeze this pad had 11 "apples" across the top of it.

This
Opuntia is thin and tall although it is actually a very small plant, it is growing
lots of new pads all over it. It's inside for now and getting the southeastern
sun.

This
orange flowered Opuntia's name I don't know, it is new to our garden
in 2000. It has some long spines and after it has had a chance to adapt to our
garden we'll add more pictures.

This
rose colored Opuntia has three spines coming out of the center of each
areole.

Have waited a long time for this one to finally bloom it's a type Opuntia
or prickly pear, people who gave me this have a beautiful cactus garden in the
rocky area behind there home which lights up with lots of color when they in
bloom.

Ranging
widely through the western United States and Mexico, some Echinocereus cacti
are quite hardy. Most species bloom when the plants are still small and the
flowers are often spectacular.

This
Arizona-Rainbow cactus Echinocereus Pectinatus Var. Rigidissimus is a
single stem plant 3 to 4 inches in diameter and up to 12 inches high. It is
completely covered with short, stiff spines, pressed flat against the stem.
The spines are arranged in alternating color bands of red, yellow and white.
The reddish flowers appear in May.

This
Claret-Cup Cactus Echinocereus Triglochidiatus has soft fleshy stems
often found arranged by the hundreds in great clumps as wide as 5 feet across.
It flowers during April - June and they last several days.

This
Red Hedgehog Echinocereus Triglochidatus Var. Melanacanthus is sometimes
called the "Crimson Hedgehog" and is found growing in mounds of a hundred stems
or more, as wide as 4 feet and a foot high. As many as 60 crimson blossoms have
been counted on one plant. It prefers the higher elevations. It blooms in April
and May.

This
Strawberry Hedgehog Engelmannís Echinocereus Engelmannii is the most
prominent of all hedgehogs found in the Southwest. It is a shaggy plant because
of its drooping, need like spines 1 to 5 inches long, that densely cover the
stems. Flowers, appear growing from the sides and near the top of the stems,
which occur in clusters of two to twenty-five to a plant.

This
Texas Rainbow Echinocereus Dasyacanthus . is a single stem plant 3
to 4 inches in diameter and up to 12 inches high. It is completely covered with
short, stiff spines, pressed flat against the stem. The spines are arranged
in alternating color bands of red and yellow. The reddish flowers appear in
May.

The
Fendlerís Hedgehog Echinocereus Fendleri has shorter and fewer spines
than most hedgehogs. It reveals more of the dark green stem and is shorter and
more oval in shape. They bloom from late March until early May.

This
Glory of Texas Thelocactus bicolor blooms in June. One of the most
decorative cacti of the deserts of Mexico and southern Texas, Thelocacti
have grooved ribs, formed by protuberances which sprout multicolored spines.
They usually grow in clusters of round or cone-shaped stems, 3 to 8 inches tall
and 2 to 8 inches wide. On older plants, showy flowers, which open on summer
days to a width of as much as 2 1/2 inches, are followed by scaly fruit. Glory-of-Texas
sometimes forms cones 8 inches tall and 3 inches thick. Red or yellow-and-red
spines grow on the ribs of the plant; flower colors range from pink to violet.
It can be grown indoors in pots or outdoors where the climate permits in borders
and rock gardens.

This Golden Lilly Cactus Lobivia Aurea blooms in June and July. The
genus name Lobivia is an anagram of Bolivia where many of the species originated,
growing on mountain slopes and surviving low temperatures. They owe their popularity
to their abundant flowers, easy care and small size. They are globular or short
cylindrical plants that grow singly or with a central stem surrounded by tiny
offsets. They bear funnel- or bell-shaped flowers as large as 4 inches across;
in some species the blossoms almost hide the plants. Colors include shades of
red, yellow, pink, orange, purple and white. Individual flowers usually last
only one day. It is also known as a Golden Cob Cactus and grows about 4 inches
tall and has trumpet-shaped bright yellow flowers.

This Orange Lily Lobivia Aurea Var. Cylindrica blooms in June and July,
it is native to Argentina.

This
Cob Cactus Lobivia Hertrichiana is native to south eastern Peru and blooms
all summer long.

This
Star of Capricorn Astrophytum Capricone It blooms all summer long.

The
Sand Dollar Cactus Astrophytum Asterias blooms all summer long. The
sand dollar, globe shaped and white flecked, is only 1 1/2 inches tall and 3
inches across. It has eight shallow, rounded ribs. Although the plant is spineless,
woolly areoles dominate it; they are evenly spaced along the ridges of the ribs.
The 1 1/2-inch flowers are yellow with red throats. These species grow slowly;
from seed they will take four or five years to reach 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
These small, fat cacti are found in the Mexican deserts and along the Rio Grande
in Texas. Round to slightly columnar, the stem's five to eight ribs may be sharp-edged
or rounded and are usually covered with coarse white flecks and edged with widely
spaced, woolly areoles. Yellow, daisy-like flowers 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches across,
some with red centers, emerge from the top of the plant in summer. Flowers usually
last a week or more and are followed by scaly, globe-shaped fruit.